In a stunning upset that will be remembered for generations, Golden Tempo stormed down the Churchill Downs stretch to capture the 2026 Kentucky Derby, rewriting history with every stride.
With jockey Jose Ortiz guiding him through traffic, the 23-1 long shot surged past rivals in the final furlongs to win by a neck in the $5 million, Grade 1 classic. The victory wasn't just about the horse—it cemented trainer Cherie DeVaux as the first female trainer ever to win the Run for the Roses.
"I'm glad that I could be a representative of all women everywhere," DeVaux said, her voice thick with emotion. "We can do whatever we put our mind to."
Golden Tempo covered the 1¼ miles on a fast track in 2:02.27, paying $48.24 for a $2 win bet—a sweet return for those who believed in the Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable colt.
"This is a dream come true," said Ortiz, who had already won the Kentucky Oaks the day before aboard Always a Runner. "This is the biggest race in the world. I get to ride it almost every year, but to win is special."
The race was a thriller from the start. Six Speed set blistering early fractions—22.68 for the quarter, 46.44 for the half, and 1:10.90 for three-quarters—with Danon Bourbon and So Happy breathing down his neck. But when the real running began, Golden Tempo found another gear.
Renegade, overcoming a slow break, rallied for second, while 70-1 long shot Ocelli—trained by Louisville native Whit Beckman—grabbed third in a stunning performance.
History wasn't the only storyline. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, seeking a record-breaking seventh Derby win, came up short. His pair of contenders, Potente (12th) and Litmus Test (17th), never threatened, leaving him tied with Ben Jones at six victories.
Veteran jockey Mike Smith, 59, aimed to become the oldest rider to win the Derby, but his mount So Happy faded to ninth. Bill Shoemaker's record, set at age 54 aboard Ferdinand in 1986, remains intact.
Golden Tempo entered the Derby off a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on March 21, but he proved that timing is everything. The colt improved his record to 3-0-2 in five career starts, showing he's a horse built for the biggest stage.
The road to the gate wasn't smooth. Six horses—Right to Party, The Puma, Silent Tactic, Fulleffort, Corona de Oro, and Great White—were scratched in the week leading up to the race. In a scary moment, Great White unseated jockey Alex Achard just before entering the starting gate, but both horse and rider were okay.
When the dust settled, 18 horses had answered the call, but only one could claim the roses. Golden Tempo, with a woman at the helm and a jockey at the peak of his powers, delivered a performance that will be talked about for years to come.